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ATP! Essential Listening: Niykee Heaton

Niykee Heaton’s debut EP Bad Intentions, which was released in September 2014 and saw
immediate success on the iTunes and Billboard charts, demonstrates her extraordinary talent. The
20-year-old from Illinois first rose to fame through YouTube with her acoustic cover of Chief
Keef’s “Love Sosa.” She continued to gain popularity with subsequent uploads of several more
acoustic rap covers, such as “The Motto” by Drake featuring Lil Wayne, “Bands A Make Her
Dance” by Juicy J, and “R.I.P.” by Young Jeezy featuring 2 Chainz.

Although her initial popularity was largely due to her lovely voice and pleasant looks (she
recently passed one million followers on Instagram), Bad Intentions showed a completely new
aspect of her talent. Along with a knack for songwriting that is impressive for her age, she has a
fantastic ability to set the mood for a song with her voice. There is a unifying vibe in the
production of the EP, but Heaton is able to make each song unique by vocally communicating
emotions.

The title track “Bad Intentions” has become her most popular, and for good reason. Arguably
her strongest lyrical song, it tells a story about frustration with love and desire for a lustful
relationship. “Rolling Stone” is the quintessence of her vocal communication. She sings, “Love
me even though I’m a mother***ing rolling stone,” with hints of pain, confusion, and yearning.
“Sober” is powerfully eerie, and is another demonstration of her vocal range. “Leave every
bottle as empty as my promises” is made even more powerful the way she sings it.

Heaton’s R&B tendencies combined with her affection for hip-hop give her a unique sound.
Although she has room to grow with her songwriting (which you can expect to happen very
soon), her vocal talent ultimately makes her music extremely enjoyable. It may not be time to
tattoo her lyrics on your body just yet, but it’s certainly time to roll down your windows and
scream them at passing cars.